Strict warning issued by England coach to Akash Deep following Ben Duckett's dismissal: "If it were during my tenure, I would have responded with a stern elbow"
In the intense heat of the India vs England Test series, a unique incident unfolded that caught the attention of many. England's assistant coach, Marcus Trescothick, described the behaviour of India's Akash Deep towards Ben Duckett as "strange" and suggested that Deep was fortunate not to receive a bigger response from Duckett [2][3].
After dismissing Duckett, Akash Deep punched the air and put his arm around the batsman's shoulder, walking a few steps with him. This unusual send-off sparked controversy and was seen by some as crossing the line in terms of sportsmanship, leading to critical remarks from commentators and officials [1].
Trescothick, as England’s batting coach, acknowledged the intensity of the moment but seemed to view Deep’s conduct as an unnecessary provocation that could have escalated further [4][5]. He joked about the incident, finding it different from what he had seen during his playing days. He suggested that many players in his time would have retaliated by "dropping the elbow" to Akash Deep [6].
Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna, the bowler in question, described his interaction with Joe Root during the series as a bit of banter and a small thing resulting from a combative edge between the two [7]. The specific nature of the "bone of contention" between the two players was not disclosed.
Interestingly, Prasidh Krishna and Joe Root are good friends off the field and were familiar with each other from their time in the IPL. The shouting match between them was interrupted by umpire Kumar Dharmasena. Despite the unusual send-off and the brief shouting match, Ben Duckett remained calm, walking off the field without incident [8].
The series saw multiple instances of verbal jabs between players, but Trescothick did not express any opinion on the appropriateness of Duckett's response to Akash Deep's behaviour [9]. The context of the press conference where Trescothick made these statements was not provided. On Day 2 of the final Test, the unusual send-off occurred, adding another intriguing chapter to the India vs England Test series.
Akash Deep's unusual celebration and gesture towards Ben Duckett, which involved punching the air and putting his arm around the batsman's shoulder, was seen as crossing the line in terms of sportsmanship by commentators and officials, given the context of the intense India vs England Test series. This behaviour raised questions about the norms of sportsmanship in cricket, especially in high-pressure situations like the India-England Test series.
